Bears’ newest weapon on defense could be a major surprise after flying under the radar in Gervon Dexter trade
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles had a lot of good things to say about new cornerback Clark Phillips III when discussing the Gervon Dexter Sr. trade.
The Chicago Bears made a major decision over the weekend when the team traded away former second-round defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons. It was a definitive move made by Ryan Poles and at the perfect time.
“That deal was more about timing than anything,” Poles told reporters on Tuesday. “Timing and fit. We had some young guys really pushing that came in this year with Jordan (van den Berg) and (Jayden) Loving. They did a really great job and we felt like it was a good fit as we move forward.”
Trading Dexter gave van den Berg and Loving the opportunity to each make the 53-man roster and opens the door for them to be real contributors this upcoming season while giving Dexter an opportunity to shine in a better scheme going into the final year of his rookie contract.
What was overlooked in this trade was the return for the Bears. In exchange for Dexter, the Bears received a 2027 fifth-round pick and cornerback Clark Phillips III, who shouldn’t be overlooked coming into Chicago.
Ryan Poles heaps praise onto new CB Clark Phillips III and his fit with this defense
Like Dexter, Phillips was selected in the 2023 NFL Draft and entering the final year of his rookie contract. The fit in Atlanta wasn’t the best for Phillips after starting seven games in three seasons but the talent is certainly there and something the Bears are excited to work with going into the season.
“Definitely going to add depth to our corner room,” Poles said when asked what Phillips brings. “We like, from the tape that we watched, his man coverage skills. Short-area quickness is really good, speed is really good, sticky in coverage. We’re looking forward to getting him on-boarded and getting going.”
The Bears are currently in Week 0 and Phillips is expected to practice for the first time on Tuesday with his new team. With 12 days until the season opener, the Bears have plenty of time to work with their new defensive back and see where he can help the unit.
“Most of his tape in Atlanta was outside, in college he was inside,” Poles added. “I like what that tape looked like too. So, I think he’s capable of both. We’ll see where we start him off and go from there.”
The Bears needed some depth at the position but certainly still have capable options to work with. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson will be the two starters on the outside while rookie Malik Muhammad II and Cam Lewis continue splitting time at nickel.
The only other cornerback on the 53-man roster right now is core special teamer Josh Blackwell, so Phillips should get plenty of action early at either position depending on how Dennis Allen wants to use his defensive backs.
